Commentary & Community

President Trump may think that there’s an emergency at the U.S.-Mexican border, but the House of Representatives disagrees.

By a vote of 245-182, the House voted in favor of House Joint Resolution 46. This resolution terminates the national emergency declared by President Trump earlier this month in order to shift federal funds around to build a border wall. Thirteen Republicans joined all the Democrats in voting for this measure.

Under the National Emergencies Act, the law that allows President Trump to declare an emergency, Congress also has the authority to pass a resolution to terminate that emergency declaration. Both houses of Congress must pass the resolution, and it is subject to the president’s veto. If one house of Congress passes the resolution, the other house must consider it within 15 days.

There is likely enough support among Republicans in the Senate to pass a disapproval resolution. However, the majority in the House for approval is does not meet the threshold to override a presidential veto. That means that if President Trump vetoes the resolution, which he is likely to do, then his emergency declaration stands.

This is not the end of the fight over the emergency declaration, however. Sixteen states are suing the federal government over this issue.

Do you think that Congress should vote to terminate President Trump’s emergency declaration allowing him to build a border wall?